Kissi Iron Penny Currency

Eleven inches, fine as a pencil, tightly and evenly twisted.

The Kissi of Sierra Leone made this iron penny, and it was used as money in the 20th century. Such pennies circulated well into that century, often counted and tied in bundles for important transactions between families as well as daily trade. A small knot of worked iron sits near one end. A thin, flared crossbar finishes one end, and the other spreads into a broad, fan-like paddle, notched at the edge.

The surface is pale gray-brown with silvery highlights.

Light, and entirely elegant about it.